Dispensing toilet-paper holder



Jan. 15 {1924. 1,481,063

J. S. O'BRIEN DISPENSING TOILET PAPER HOLDER "Filed June 10 1922 l I 7 ir'" z/7, i i I 4,

INVENTOR.

v ATTORNEY. F1114- I Patented Jan. 15, l924. I

UNITED ,s-r

ra s

PATNT oFF cE.

JOSEPH S, 07BRIEN, 0F WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

nisrnnsrnor TOILET-PAPER HOLDER.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,479.

paper a sheetat a time, and consists essen- V tially of a suitablebacking and supportingmeans therefor and for a package of flattoilet-paper placed against or in front of said backing, and a feedingflap connected by flexible means with said backing, together with suchother parts and members or elements as may be necessary or desirable inorder to render the device complete in every respect, all as hereinafterset forth.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a very simple andinexpensive device for holding a package of'flattoiletpaper, anddispensing the same, one sheet after another, by merely moving a feedingmember up in front of said package and down in contact with the foremostsheet therein. 7

Another object is to produce such a device or holder which is capable ofreceivingand 7 handling any ordinary package of fiat toilet paper, andof utilizing'the binder wire of such package for the support of thelatter, all without necessitating any change in the general form ofeither the package 01. wire. The parts of this device and a'package oftoilet-paper can be easily and quickly assembled, and after one packagehas been exhausted another can be placed in position in the holderwithout difficulty, fresh packages being supplied as often as maybenecessary until the holder is worn out. 7 1

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the followingdescription.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention bythe-means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is 'a front elevation of adis-. pensing toilet-paper holderwhichembodies a ractical form of my invention, a package 0 toilet-paperbeing in'place insaid holder;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of' saidt'holder and jThe backing 4- maypackage, operative positions of the dispens- 7 ing or feeding partsbeingrepresented by broken lines; Fig. 3, a reduced plan of the inside{of the holder as it appears when opened out or laid flat, the metallicsupporting member being omitted; Fig. 4, a similar view, of a slightlymodified form of construction, and, Fig. 5, a fragmentary detail in planof a portionof a feeding flap which embodies still another modification,

the inner surface of such flap appearing, and

the detail being of substantially the same size as corresponding thefirst two views.

parts of the flap in Similar reference characters designate similarparts throughout theseveral views.

' In Figs. 1 and 2 an ordinary package of flat toilet-paper isrepresented at 1, and an ordinary binder wire therefor 'at 2, suchwirerhaving'a loopor eye 3 at one end as is customary. Ordinarily theend of the wire 2, which is opposite to the end thereof where the eye 3is located, is bent over onto the contiguous side of the package, butfor use in connection with holder said first-named terminal must eitherbe left unbent initially or bent into line with the other straightportion of said wire, depending on whether the package be placed in theholder at the factory, or be subsequently placed therein; If the package1 be provided with pieces of cardboard over the-back and front sidesthereof, as is usually the. case.

when fiat toilet-paper I is prepared and shipped without other holdingmeans than the binder wires, the front piece must be re-'- movedand theback piece may be removed beforethe package is placed: in the holder.

' Referring'to the first' three views, itwill be seen that the holdertherein illustrated comprises abackingkl, a feeding fiap 5 articulatedto, or connected-by means-of av flexible connectionfip with the upperedgeof said'backing, said flap having a central,

longitudinal opening 7'in the part thereof that is contiguous withtheconnection 6, and beingprovided with a block, feeding block,

or feeder 8 located between the free endof said fiap'and said opening,and a supporting ios member or hanger ,9. There is, an openingv 10, inthe longitudinal center of the backing 4 near the top thereof, to'permitof the passage therethrough of the front terminal portion of thehanger,'9.-

I be of any size V V or shapeefandi said backing, togetlmri ith'increased by perforating or scoring the sheet of material transverselybetween the backing 4 and said connection, between the flap 5 and saidconnection, and one or-nioretimes intern'iediately of the joints formedby the two first-named scorings, thes'escorings beingindicated by thenumeral 21. provision is made for a degree of flexibility that enablesthe flap 5 to bemoved up and down freely to the extent required.

Thefeeder 8 here consists of a wood block slitted, from one end nearlythrough to the other. end, to: receive that portion of the. flap 5whichis below the opening 7 or between said opening and the freeend ofsaid flap. The block 8 may bejglued to the flap 5 if desired. The backor inner face of this block or feeder is made rough or provided withabrasive material in-order'to enable the same firmly to'engage or beengaged with a sheet of paper. It is'necessary that a firm engagement beattained between the feeder 8 and the sheet ofpaper to be dis--pensedfrom the package-1, and any suitable means for this purpose,-other than abrasive material, may be employed or provided, althoughsuch"means" preferably should not perforate'the paper.

The hanger9 is bent upwardly at the rear end, and provided'at the top ofthe upturned part with'aloop or eye ligand said hanger is bentdownwardly at the front end, and provided at the'bottoin of thedown-turned part with a loop or eye-12'. i

In assembling the; parts," the forward terminal of the hanger-"9 isinserted through the opening 10 in the backing l from behind, and passesthrough the eye 3-of the binder wire 2, and the forward terminal of saidwire is'inserted-in the eye 12. Thus it is seen that the package 1 issuspended'froni the hanger 9 by means of the wire Qand its eye 3, withthe horizontal part of said hanger above saidpackage', and thelatteragainst the backing 4eand'between said back ing and thedownwardly-turned terminal of said hanger; The-holder with the package 2is suspended from aihooko-r other suit able" support-byengaging the eye11 with the same; When thus suspended the 'p'aokage hangs approximatelyveiticallyandthef wire Q- and the horizontal portion of the hanger '9:are ,approximately:parallel. If'desired,

the" protruding portion of'thewire Qini front of: the'eye 12: m'ay'1bebent to form an angle itlf said wire behind forithef'sakebf'furtherSehurity; h 'V i i" '1" 7' 1 The: eonnectioni6 extendsrinver the :hanger9 in front of the up-turnedlterminalthereof, and ovrithe top; ofthepackaged,frestingfon thwfront-terminaiizportiireofi said:

In thismanner and the flaps 5 hangs down from said connection with theinner, abrasive face of the feeder 8 against the front sheet of paper insaid package, and some distance below the eye 12 which supports the wire2 at the forwardterminal, such distance being sufiicient for the feedingoperation which will presently :beexplained-see full lines in Fig. 2. V

The portion of the feederblock 8, which isin front of that portion ofthe flap 5 'to which said block is attached, is thicker than the portionof said block that is behind said portion of said flap, such frontportion of the block pro ecting far enough to afford a good grip for,the thumb and fingerfin' moving the block up and down. V In practice,the feeder block 8 is grasped and moved upwardly toward the'eye 12,carrying with it the flap 5' and raising the connection 6, then saidblock is forced again the front-sheet of-paperin the pack age 1 andwhile held firmlyiagainst the same moved downwardly, with the resultthat such sheet iscarried with the block, torn loose from thebinderwire'2, and c'aused'to project below the bottomof said package."The brokenlines'in Fig. 2 show the feeder part way, down, with the flap5 and con'nec tion 6 relatively disposed, and the frontsheetfprojecting, asindicated by the broken lines 13, below the bottom of? thepackage. WVhen the feeder has been moved down until the forward portionof the connection '6 comes to rest against the hanger 9, or possibly'insoine cases. against the upper, front edge of-the package 1, saidfeeder-is re leased, the: protruding portionofthe foreinost sheet isgrasped between the thumb and finger, andsaid sheetis drawnfrombetween.the reinaining;sheets and the feeder. Thevinitial downwardinoveinent of the feeder-pauses the front 'sheettobe torn loose from thewire 2. A secondsheet-is obtained in the same manner-as that justdescribed, "and so oniuntil the package is exhausted. SlZByihG hanger 9in front'of" theeye 3 and the wire-2 in front 'ofsaid eye are-receivedin theslot 7 sothat they do notinter'fere with the successful-operationof the' feeder even. when in the act of -d1spens1ng the last orrearinostsheet.

After the-:package-l hasbeen' exhausted,

thefiap 5i and-theconnection 6 are swung up wardly, the wire 2- isremoved from the hanger 9, asnew package-isplacedin positionandxsuspended from said hanger, and saidaflaipx and connection arereturnedto place, with the feeder 8 in front ofisaid last-named package;in-reasdinesS for-partiallyi detaching! the sheets 7 one at a *timetherefroni as wasudfoneifrorn the;first package: 1 In: the moditicationishown 1 in F-i'g'i 4:, 3 a feederaisiimader by providing .an: extensionAs the package decreasesyin 14 at the free end of the feeding flap 5,and two lateral extensions from the first, folding the extensions 15under and over each other onto the extension 14, on score 1 lines 1616,and gluing or otherwise securing these parts together, and then foldingthe extension 14 with the extensions 15 glued thereto on score lines 17onto said flap, into the position indicated by broken if? lines at 18,and gluing or otherwise securing the folded parts to said flap. Thisfeederis completed by applying abrasive material to the exposed face ofthe aforesaid folded parts, which face is the backside of the extension14 as it is positioned in the drawing. The operation of this feeder andthat of the associated parts are substantially the same as in the firstexample, except that it is necessary, in order to grasp theFig. 4feeder, to apply the thumb and finger to the free end of the flap andthe adjacent edge of the opening 7 The feeder illustrated in Fig. 5consists merely of the free terminal portion 19 of the feeding flap 5,which portion is supplied on the inside with abrasive material. A tab isstruck out of the part 19 to serve as a handle with which to operate thefeeder.

In each example the feeder, when in operative position, is located withits longitudinal, transverse center in the same vertical plane with thebinder wire 2 and the hanger 9, so that a direct pull, in line with thesupporting members for the package 1 at the top, is exerted on theforemost sheet of paper in said package, when said feeder is forciblyengaged with such sheet and moved downwardly. Thus provision is made forfreeing the paper from the wire 4 2 in the most direct manner and to thebest advantage. V

More or less modification may be made in the device, in addition to thespecific changes of which particular mention has been made, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of whatis claimed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire.

to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A dispensing toilet-paper holder comprising a perforated backing, aperforated flap having a feeding part, a foldable connection betweensaid backing and said flap, the arrangement of parts being such thatsaid flap can be moved up and down and swung forward and back, and asupporting member receivable in the perforation in said backing and inthe eye of the binder wire of a package of toilet-paper, and adapted tosupport said wire at the terminal opposite to said eye, said supportingmember and said wire both being receivable in the perforation in saidflap, whereby said flap is permitted to be operated and by gravitynormally to contact with thetoilet- V paper regardless of the thicknessof the package. v 2. A dispensing toilet-paper holder comprising aone-piece element forming aback support, a feeding flap, and a foldableconnection between the two for a package of paper and the sheetstherein, and means to support said element and package.

3. A dispensing toilet-paper holder com prising a single-piece elementforming a back 7 support and a feeding flap for a package of paper andthe sheets therein, such element being transversely scored to provide aflexible connection for said flap, and means to support said element andsaid package;

4. A dispensing toiletpaper holder comprising a perforated backing, aperforated feeding flap articulated to said backing, an abraded feederblock'att-ached to said flapf between the free end thereof and theadjacent edge of the perforation therein, and a hanger receivable in theperforation in' said backing and inthe eye of the binder wire of apackage 'of toilet-paper, and adapted to support said wire at theterminal opposite to said edge, said hanger and said wire both beingreceivable in said perforation in the flap. V

5. In a dispensing toilet-paper holder, supporting means, a flap havingafeeding part for individual sheets of paper, and a flexible connectionbetween said means and said flap, said connection being constructed toenable the feeding part of said flap normally to contact by gravity withthe paper regardless of the thickness of the supply thereof,and topermit said flap to move upward and downward and forward and backward.

supporting means, a flap provided with a feederfor individual sheets ofpaper, and a flexible connection between said means and said flap, saidconnectionbeing constructed to enable said feeder normally to contact 1by gravity with the paper regardless of the thickness of the supplythereof, and to per-- mit said flap to be moved upward and downward andforward and backward. a

p 7 In a dispensing toilet-paper V holder, supporting means. a flapprovided with a feeder for individual sheets of paper, and furtherprovided with means to be grasped for the purpose of operating saidflap, and H afiexible connection between said means and said flap, saidconnection being con-' structed to enable said feeder normally tocontact by gravity with the paper regardless of the thickness of thesupply thereof,

and to permitsaid flap to be moved upward and downward and forward andbackward.

, JOSEPH S. OBR-IEN. Witnesses: V 7

R. E. A LBEE, I F. A. Coma.

6. In a dispensing toilet-paper holder, 1

